The Tormentor
by RaiRaiRope
Summary: When Chloé begins to make Marinette's life hell, Adrien gets annoyed and jumps to defend her. Little does he realise he is beginning to develop feelings for his shy classmate despite his love for his partner and best friend Ladybug.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

" _Marinette? It's time to wake up...Marinette, you're going to be late."_ Tikki tapped Marinette's head, scrunching her face in disapproval.

" _mhm, in a minute Tikki."_

" _MARINETTE!"_

" _Okay okay!"_

Sleepily, Marinette sat up. She yawned, stretched and groggily peered at the time on her phone. She rubbed her eyes and looked again.

" _OH NO I'M GOING TO BE LATE!"_ She leapt out of bed, stumbling around, looking for her clothes.

" _Hehe, I told you Marinette."_ Tikki grinned and sat on her shoulder.

" _I was dre..."_

" _Dreaming about Adrien?"_ Tikki chuckled.

" _You know me too well Tikki."_

Marinette smiled and rushed to the bathroom. She grabbed her hair bobbles, hurriedly separating her dark, silky hair into pigtails. She glanced to the mirror, huffing at the stray strands, refusing to comply. She went to pick her toothbrush up but clumsily knocked the cup over, sending everyone's toothbrushes flying across the sink. She quickly put them all back, being careful not to knock it over again as she scrubbed her teeth. She ran back through to her room, rummaged through her drawers, throwing her clothes into the air behind her. As she turned she lost her balance and stumbled to the floor. Tikki swirled around and giggled at her friends clumsiness. When she was finished getting ready, she ran down the stairs, through the bakery, grabbing a croissant on the way, mumbling 'bye' to her mum as she left.

Fifteen minutes later she quietly crept to her place, trying her best to make as little noise as possible. She mentally high-fived herself for making it to school in record time.

Alya grinned and shook her head, " _Oh gurl, why are you late this time?"_

" _I overslept."_ Marinette smiled cheekily at the look on her best friends face.

Nino turned and faced them, " _At least ma man, Adrien made it on time for once."_

They all giggled as Adrien smiled and rubbed the back of his neck.

" _Maybe I can give you some tips."_ Adrien teased.

Marinette's face glowed a deep red. The four friends started laughing.

Chloe looked over and grunted in disgust at Marinette. Sabrina leaned back and glared at them.

" _Urgh, I can't stand her, I don't know why Adrien is friends with her."_ She whispered.

" _He won't look twice at her, when I'm finished. He'll laugh at her like everyone else does."_ Chloe sneered.

" _Erm, Chloe, no one laughs at her."_

" _Oh Sabrina, obviously I have enough brains for the both of us. Can't you tell? They're laughing at her because she's SOOO pathetic!"_

Chloe glanced at Adrien and blew a kiss to him. Adrien awkwardly smiled and looked away as fast as he could.

" _QUIET!"_ The teacher exclaimed. _"The next person to interrupt my lesson will go to the Principal's office!"_ She spun around and sternly looked at her students. The class immediately fell silent. _"Good. Now turn to page 70 of your textbooks."_

After class, Marinette, Alya, Nino and Adrien walked across the courtyard, heading towards the cafeteria. Chloe walked passed Marinette, she pushed her shoulder hard against her and shrieked.

" _OWWW! Adrikins! Did you see that? She walked into me!"_ Chloe feigned shock.

Alya quickly turned to defend her friend and retorted " _Chloe, you walked into her."_

Chloe threw her arm to her forehead, _"And WHY would I do that? Sabrina? You saw it didn't you?"_

Sabrina nodded enthusiastically.

" _I didn't walk into you Chloe, you pushed me."_ Marinette spat as she started walking away, clenching her fists.

" _AND where do you think you're going? I'm not finished with you yet, brat!"_ Chloe sneered.

Alya ran after her friend dragging Nino with her. Adrien followed, shaking his head at Chloe as he went passed them. Chloe groaned and stamped her foot in frustration. She watched as they entered the hall, desperately trying to come up with a plan. When Chloe walked through the doors, she saw someone nearly drop their tray and an idea popped into her head. She grinned nastily and whispered into Sabrina's ear.

The four friends got their food and sat together at a table. Marinette sat opposite Adrien because Alya had insisted on sitting across from Nino. They both instantly blushed when their legs accidently brushed together as she sat down. Marinette felt the butterflies in her stomach begin to rage like a storm. She took a deep breath and shook her head.

" _Sorry, I-I didn't m-mean t-t..."_ Marinette stuttered.

" _It's ok, don't worry."_ Adrien smiled kindly at her.

Suddenly Marinette screamed as a full glass of orange juice fell over her head. She shivered and went to grab a napkin from her tray when a plate of fish pie slopped on her hair. Alya, Nino and Adrien gasped.

" _Oh I'm so sorry Marinette, I slipped and my tray fell onto you!"_ Sabrina said sarcastically as she tried to stifle a giggle. Chloe came behind and slipped, rather dramatically, banging into Sabrina and dropping her tray onto Marinette. A tuna sandwich landed on her shoulder. She gritted her teeth and turned to look at Chloe.

" _Oh no, poor Marinette,"_ Chloe mocked _"Poor fishy Marinette. Eww you stink brat, don't you wash? AHAHAHAHAA."_

" _Hey, leave her alone, what did you do that for?"_ Alya shouted.

Chloe laughed, she crossed her arms and cockily flicked her hair. _"I SLIPPED, didn't you see? Or do you need your glasses changing? Come on Sabrina."_

Chloe and Sabrina walked away laughing. Marinette stood up and stormed after them, wiping the pie from her face.

" _HOW DARE YOU! I know you hate me Chloe, but there was no need to do that!"_

Chloe pinched her nose and glared at Marinette, " _What's that smell, oh, it's you. Why are you shouting, Marinette? Are you trying to impress Aaaadrien? It won't work because he's MINE."_

Marinette stood and thought of all the things she wanted to say, but with the whole cafeteria watching them, she felt a lump growing in her throat. She tried hard to fight it, but she couldn't hold it back, tears streamed down her face. She looked back to her friend Alya, who was rushing to help her and looked towards the door. Kim started laughing whilst Sabrina taunted her.

Chloe leaned forward in an intimidating way and whispered, _"Everyone's laughing at you brat."_

Marinette ran towards the door, with Alya close behind. Nino shook his head and mouthed 'too far' to Adrien. After Chloe finished cackling, she went to sit with them but Adrien abruptly stood and shook his head.

" _Not cool Chloe."_ He said and he walked off, following the girls.

Adrien walked down the corridor wondering where she had gone. He felt a gentle tapping on his chest so he looked around checking no one was near and stood at the wall, opening his shirt.

Plagg popped his head out and said _"She'll be in the girls toilets kid. You might wanna go and find her, we don't want her getting akumatized."_

" _I can't go in there. But Alya went after her so I'm sure she will be fine."_ Adrien sighed. He turned and went to his next class, hoping that Marinette would go there early to avoid bumping into Chloe.

Alya walked into class a while later and sat in her place, looking frustrated. Nino came in next and sat next to Adrien and shrugged when he asked where Marinette was. One by one, everyone sat in their places, except for Marinette.

" _Where is fishy Marinette, Alya? Did she go home to have a wash?"_ Chloe scoffed.

Alya huffed but chose to ignore her and started furiously tapping on her phone.

Adrien could hear Chloe and Sabrina laughing hysterically. He turned to face Alya, who looked like she was about to burst with anger.

" _Where is Marinette, Alya?"_

" _She's gone home. She was too upset to come back to class so Miss Bustier told her to go home. Her dad picked her up."_

He saw the worry on Alya's face and felt bad that he hadn't gone to find her. He knew Plagg was right, he had to check she was ok.

" _Could I have h-her number? I just want to make sure she's ok."_ Adrien nervously asked.

Alya smiled and wrote Marinette's number on a page in her notebook, with a smiley face and 'Mari' underneath. She tore the page out and passed it to Adrien.

" _She will be happy if you did, just make sure that WITCH doesn't get her claws on it."_ Alya nodded in Chloe's direction.

" _Thanks, don't worry, I wouldn't dream of letting her get it."_ Adrien replied as he took it from her.

Marinette lay soaking in the bath, fuming over her lack of confidence to retaliate. She thought about it over and over, thinking about all the different things she could have said. Tikki could sense she was mentally beating herself up, so she flew up from under a towel and sat on the edge of the bath.

" _Are you ok Marinette?"_ Tikki gently asked.

" _Yeah, I'm just so annoyed at myself. I cried in front of the whole school practically!"_ Marinette pulled her hands up to hide her face, for fear of crying again.

" _Don't beat yourself up Marinette, what she did was horrible."_ Tikki soothed.

" _But Tikki, they all laughed at me."_ Marinette sadly dropped her gaze to the water.

" _Alya didn't, Nino didn't, ADRIEN didn't."_

" _I bet they wanted to."_ Marinette said quietly.

" _Stop it, they didn't laugh, nor did they want to."_ Tikki flew up to her face and nuzzled her.

Marinette sighed and got up out of the bath. She dried herself and put her dressing gown on, gently picking Tikki up and placing her in the pocket. She walked out of the bathroom, heading to the steps up to her room. As she passed the kitchen, Sabine looked up from the newspaper she was reading.

" _Marinette? Are you wanting any supper?"_ Her mum asked.

Marinette shook her head " _No thank you maman, I just want to go to sleep."_

" _Ok darling, just ask if you change your mind."_ Sabine watched her daughter go up to her room, giving Tom a sad look.

Marinette closed the hatch door and went to the chaise where she had laid out a tank top and shorts pyjamas. She changed and climbed up the ladder to her bed, flopping onto it face down. She groaned and closed her eyes, she drifted in and out of sleep, replaying the day in her head, imagining Adrien jumping to her defence. Then she heard knocking, thinking she had imagined it she opened her eyes, listened and shut them again. **KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK**. There it was again. Marinette sat up and switched her lamp on. She looked up to the skylight and saw a dark figure peeking through.

" _Puurrincess?"_

Marinette froze. Who would be on her roof terrace in the dark other than Chat Noir, but why would he be visiting her? She looked down at herself, suddenly cursing herself for not choosing her flannel pyjamas.

" _Princess! I'm going to freeze out here, please can I come in?"_

She stood up and opened the skylight, there peering at her, with a big cat grin, was Chat Noir. She looked in disbelief as he made his way down onto her bed. She shuffled towards the ladder and climbed down, Chat followed soon after. She stood nervously looking at him. She was hyper aware of her lack of clothes and her red puffy eyes. When he finished climbing down he turned and smiled at her.

" _I came to check on you because I heard through the grapevine that some girl named Chloe had been nasty to you and I wanted to make sure you weren't akumatized."_

" _Heard through the grapevine?"_ Marinette looked at him suspiciously.

" _Yeah something that."_ Chat grinned.

" _Do you make a habit of visiting girls who might be akumatized?"_ Marinette said in a sassy way.

Chat Noir laughed and rubbed the back of his neck, he suddenly looked nervous.

" _Errm, well no, I've never done this before, I-I just wanted to make sure you were ok."_

Marinette felt bad that she had been so short, she knew he was only concerned about her. She looked down and crossed her arms, fighting back the tears again. She didn't want to cry, not in front of her partner, but she couldn't help it. She felt humiliated that he had found out. She wondered who had told him, and why did they? Her thoughts began to spiral out of control when she felt his hand tip her chin up. He gazed into her eyes, with those big green eyes, all full of worry.

" _I'm sorry Chat, I just...I don't understand..."_ Marinette choked.

" _You don't have to, just know that people out there care for you and we don't want you to feel upset."_ He said softly.

" _We?"_

" _Yeah, you're friends, Adrien, Alya and Nino. I care too."_

'Strange, he said Adrien's name first' she thought.

" _Who asked you to come to me?"_

Chat fell silent, thinking carefully how to respond.

" _No one did, I heard and wanted to come."_

" _Oh..."_

Marinette felt a warmth in her chest, knowing that Chat Noir cared for her. She felt an urge to be close to him, so she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. She felt him reciprocate, gently placing his arms around her. He nuzzled her hair, breathing in her smell. She listened to his heart pounding in his chest, it was soothing. They stood for a while, neither of them wanting to pull away.

Marinette did first, her legs ached from leaning on him, so she grabbed his hand and pulled him over to sit on the chaise.

" _Thank you, I needed that."_ She nervously giggled. _"Sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable."_

" _Don't be silly Princess, that's what friends are for."_ He leaned and nudged her gently.

She looked up at him and felt happy that he'd called them friends. He had no idea how much he meant to her as Ladybug and Marinette.

" _I'm lucky to have a lovely kitty looking out for me."_ She smiled. Chat gently moved a strand of hair that was covering her eye. Marinette felt a tingling sensation that ran through her body, catching her breath.

Chat spoke softly, studying her face, _"That's better, I love to see my Princess smile."_

He found himself staring at her lips, a warmth beginning in his stomach, traveling through his veins. For a moment, he wanted to feel her lips on his. But then he thought of his Ladybug, he cursed himself for betraying her. He loved her, not Marinette. Although she was just as beautiful he thought.

Marinette looked away, taking a deep breath, trying to control her feelings too. When she looked back, she noticed that Chat's expression had changed, he looked lost. She didn't know why but she poked him in the ribs. He turned, staring at her with a mischievous grin. She couldn't help but start to giggle. He looked at her surprised.

" _Little Lady, why are you laughing at me?"_

He suddenly leapt at her, she shrieked and he put her over his shoulder.

" _WHAT ARE YOU DOING? PUT ME DOWN!"_ She couldn't help but laugh as she tried to struggle free. Chat started walking towards the ladder, gripping Marinette tightly.

" _I think I need to teach Puuurincess some manners."_

" _Ha! I didn't know you had manners."_ She giggled.

Chat swung her to her desk chair and began to tickle her mercilessly. She laughed and shouted. Trying to get him to stop.

" _I'll stop if you say sorry!"_

" _O...kay...OKAY I'm SORRY!"_

She took a deep breath when he stopped tickling. She jumped up, wrapping her arms around his neck, taking him by surprise and kissed him lightly on his cheek. She heard him gasp, it sent a warmth through her body down to the pit of her stomach.

They both smiled feeling flushed and a bit awkward. She stepped back a bit to give him space, trying to think of something to say to break the silence, but she couldn't. Chat looked just as awkward as she felt. She shook her head and smiled a big happy grin at him.

" _Thank you kitty, I feel so much better now."_ She said as confidently as she could.

" _You're welcome Little Lady, I'm happy I could be of service. But I should go now, People will be wondering where I am."_ He awkwardly leaned forward and hugged her, bowed, then left.

Marinette woke up the next morning with sweat dripping down her forehead. She had tossed and turned all night, dreaming of Chat kissing her. 'WHAT were those dreams?!' She threw her covers off and sat up. Tikki opened her eyes, surprised that Marinette had awoken so early.

" _Marinette, it's not like you to be up so early! It's not even light yet, are you ok?"_ Tikki worriedly asked.

" _I'm fine Tikki, I just...just had a bad dream that's all."_ Marinette shook her head.

" _Do you want to talk about it?"_

" _No, it's ok, I'm fine Tikki, honestly."_ She tried to smile convincingly. Tikki eyed her friend with suspicion, but decided to leave it. She yawned and led back down.

Marinette's mouth was uncomfortably dry so she climbed down and walked over to the sink, she splashed water on her face and drank some water, it was refreshingly cold. Her thoughts went back to what she'd just dreamt, She had never thought of Chat Noir in THAT way before. So why was she suddenly having such strange dreams with him in?

She grabbed a towel and dried her face. 'Come on Marinette, pull yourself together, it was just a dream right?'. She put her dressing gown on, made her way back up the ladders and through the skylight.

Up on the balcony, Marinette looked over Paris, the fresh air, clearing her confusing thoughts. She had to prepare for the exams today and no boy would distract her. Tikki flew up and landed on her shoulder.

" _I love this time of day, the sun rising, the quiet streets, the chill in the air."_ Marinette took a deep breath, enjoying the gentle breeze on her face.

" _Me too."_ Tikki replied, snuggling up to her.

" _Oh Tikki, why is life so confusing?"_

 **Buzz Buzzzzz**

" _Who would text me this early?"_ She thought out loud. Tikki shrugged, getting Marinette's phone out of her pocket. Marinette unlocked it and stared at the screen.

 _04:58_ _ **Hi Marinette, its Adrien. Sorry its early, I just wanted to make sure you're ok. Chloe is so nasty sometimes. I hope you don't mind me texting, Alya said you wouldn't. A x**_

" _OH MY GOD TIKKI! He's text me!"_ Marinette jumped with delight.

" _Well don't keep him waiting! Text him back!"_ Tikki laughed.

 _05:01_ _ **Hey there. No I don't mind, I kind of already had your number haha, sorry. I'm ok thanks, I shouldn't let her get to me. Thanks again, Mari xx**_

Marinette let out a sigh of relief. After retyping that message 3 times, she'd decided to be brave and send it. Almost straight away her phone buzzed again. 'Wow that was fast'

 _05:02_ _ **Oh right, when did you get it? No one blames you, she went too far. Did you tell the principal? Will you be in school today? A x**_

Marinette squealed again, she spun around, holding her phone to her chest. She couldn't believe it, Adrien Agreste texting plain, boring Marinette Dupain-Cheng. She quickly typed out her next reply.

 _05:05_ _ **Ohh a while ago, Alya got it from Nino but I never used it, sorry I hope that's ok! Yes I did but he won't do anything because of her father :(. Yeah I will. Mari xx**_

Was she dreaming? Surely this was a dream. Tikki swirled around her, giggling at her friends happiness.

 _05:07_ _ **Dont say sorry it's cool. That's rubbish, well, I'll stick up for you if she starts again. Anyway, gtg I have a shoot before school. See ya. A x**_

Marinette sat for a while, wondering if she should text back or act cool and leave it. But she couldn't contain her excitement and started tapping away.

 _05:17_ _ **You sure it's cool? Aww thanks, I really appreciate it. Ok, must be fun being a model! See you in class. Mari xxx**_

Feeling extra confident, partly in the knowledge he probably wouldn't look at it straight away, she added an extra kiss on the end, pressing send as soon as she could, so that she couldn't change her mind. She looked over at Tikki and kissed her kwami lightly.

 **Buzz Buzzzz**

Marinette jumped in shock, nearly throwing her phone over the railings. She relaxed and pulled the phone up to her face.

 _05:23_ _ **Not that much fun, schools better ;) A xx**_

She blinked at the screen, taking in his last message. Her eyes were drawn to the extra kiss on the end of his text. 'Did he do it accidently? Or did he do it in response to hers?' she thought.

She scrunched her face, thinking and thinking, but she just could not think of a way to respond. So she put her phone in her dressing gown pocket and made her way back downstairs.

Adrien looked at his phone wondering if she would reply. He decided to get washed and dressed whilst he waited. After he was done he checked his phone but she still hadn't text, so he wandered downstairs to eat his breakfast before Natalie would start pestering him. As he walked down the corridor he looked at the blank screen, accidentally walking into his father, Gabriel.

" _Adrien, what do you think you're doing? You're going to be late."_ He growled.

" _Sorry father, I-I didn't see you."_ Adrien stammered.

" _No. You were too busy staring at that...thing! Get yourself together boy!"_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Marinette felt determined to walk into class confidently, showing Chloe that she wasn't going to be messed with today. That was until, Chloe put her foot out, sending Marinette flying to the floor. Her books and stationary tumbling all over.

"O-M-G what's that smell? Can you smell it Sabrina?" Chloe mocked.

Sabrina immediately chimed in, "Ewww, I don't know, it smells like FISH."

"Ohhh, I know, BORING Marinette must be here. AHAHAHA."

Marinette grit her teeth, gathering her belongings off the floor, slamming them onto the desk, making Nino jump.

"Are you ok? I don't know what her problem is, but she's certainly got a grudge against you." Alya asked, looking at her BFF with worry.

"Thanks, but I'm fine. I won't let her get to me today."

Adrien walked through the door, he looked up at Marinette and smiled. Chloe leapt from her seat, wrapping her arms around him.

"Adrikins! My Daddy is throwing me a BIG birthday party tomorrow. It's gonna be A-MAZING! So make sure you don't be late. 7pm sharp, okay?" She sauntered back to her seat, flicking her hair as she sat down. Sabrina quietly cheered her friend, wriggling in her seat with excitement.

Adrien rolled his eyes and sat down. Turning his back to them and facing Nino. Nino smiled and patted him on the arm.

"Must be tough having the ladies all over you dude. Alya won't even hold my hand in public." He teased.

"It would be ok if it was anyone but HER!" Adrien pointed his eyes in the direction of Chloe. Nino smiled empathetically at him.

Marinette sat with her arms crossed, looking very mad. She wasn't going to let Chloe get to her today. _'Just get through these exams'_ she kept telling herself.

Ms Mendeleiev stormed through the door with a stern look on her face.

"Right, I will NOT have any nonsense in class today. You must all remain silent when the test begins. The first person to break the rules, will go straight to the principal's office and will come back after school to serve detention with me. Understand?"

Everyone nodded so she started handing out test papers, looking at each person, as if to strike fear into them. When Ms Mendeleiev had her back turned, Chloe quickly scribbled on some paper, screwed it up and pretended to gasp.

"Misssss? Someone threw this at me!" Chloe batted her eyelashes at the teacher.

Ms Mendeleiev snatched the paper ball from Chloe and stared harshly at the tables around her, trying to find the culprit. She then glanced down to look at the note.

 _-I'm gonna get you back for what you did to me yesterday...-_

She glared at Marinette and read the note out. Marinette blushed and started to defend herself.

"I didn't..."

"ENOUGH!...Miss Bourgeois, I know this is not Miss Dupain-Cheng's writing, so this is your one and only warning, I will NOT have stupidity in my class. And Miss Dupain-Cheng, I hope you are mature enough not to retaliate? I'm sure you will not want me to have to call your parents into school. Do I make myself clear to you both?"

"Yes Miss." Marinette nodded.

"Urgh, fine." Chloe groaned.

Marinette spent the rest of class staring at her test paper. When she finished, she went through the paper another time to make sure she was happy with her answers and to avoid eye contact with anyone else.

At lunch, Marinette rushed out of class, heading straight to the cafeteria to get her food quickly and avoid Chloe. Alya babbled away about the new update on her Ladyblog and how she released the story before all the other news channels. Marinette listened but didn't join in. She just wanted to eat and get to the next class. For the rest of the day, Marinette managed to stay away from Chloe and ignored all the snide comments that she made in class. She was determined to not let Chloe see it was bothering her. At the end of the day Alya and Marinette walked out of the school entrance and sat on the steps outside.

"I seriously don't get what Chloe's problem is! She's had a vendetta against you all day! Nino told me that she's getting on Adrien's nerves too." Alya sighed "How are you holding up gurl? You've been quiet all day. I hope you aren't listening to that witch!"

"I'm ok Alya, I just want to stay out of her way."

"She's just jel cos her 'Adrikins' is paying you more attention!" Alya made a funny face, mocking Chloe. Marinette couldn't help but laugh, which made her feel better after a tense day.

"At least it's the weekend now, I can get on with making that dress. And I won't have to see her ugly face for a few days!"

"That's the spirit gurl! I'll come on Sunday and we'll discuss battle strategies for Monday." Alya high-fived her and stood up. "I've gotta go now, text ya later!"

"Bye Alya!" Marinette smiled and waved, watching her friend go.

Adrien walked over and sat down next to her. Marinette yelped in surprise and began intensely blushing.

"Hi, how are you feeling?" Adrien calmly asked.

"H-hey, I-I erm I-m good t-thanks!" Her voice squeaked.

"Haha, are you sure? You seem...tense."

Marinette took a deep breath, "I'm ok, I just want to know what I've done to make Chloe be like this."

"She's Chloe, does she need a reason?"

"E-rr n-no, I suppose not." She looked at the limo pulling up in front of them. Sadness washed over her, knowing he would be going. She pulled her knees up to chest and rested her chin on them.

"Don't worry, I'm sure she'll get bored and leave you alone." He said, unable to find the right words to comfort her. He wasn't good at comforting people, his father never showed that kind of affection to him and it felt like a lifetime ago when his mother disappeared. He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in for a brief hug. Marinette rested her head on him, fighting back the tears.

"I'll see you on Monday Mari, text me if you want." He stood up and walked to the car.

She watched him climb into the limo and his driver shut the door.

She grabbed her bag and started to walk home. Adrien glanced out of the window and watched her as the limo drove past.

"Plagg, we're going to visit her again tonight. I'm worried about her."

"Oh kid, you've got it baaad."

"No I've not, she's just a..."

"She's just a friend, yeah, yeah, you keep sayin'. It's fine, we can go but I want a big piece of camembert before we go."

"Ok. I wonder if Ladybug's kwami is as greedy as you?"

"Nahh, but Tikki does likes cookies."

"Tikki?" Adrien smiled, repeating it in his head.

"Yeah, Tikki"

"Well, at least cookies smell better than stinky cheese!"

"I loooove cheese! Mmmm Camembert..."

Marinette sat looking at the half finished dress. It was red with black paw prints pinned and wrapped around the skirt up to the bodice. Black lace was draped around the waist flowed behind creating a train. The sleeves were still too long, the cuffs not finished and the sweetheart neckline was the only bit that was complete. It wasn't too revealing but enough to compliment a woman's figure.

"It looks really good Marinette, it's going to be dreamy when it's finished!" Tikki flew around it, admiring the hard work Marinette had put into it. But the more Marinette looked, the more faults she found. She groaned, stood up and went to her balcony. Tikki followed.

"Marinette what's wrong? It looks stunning." Tikki asked confused.

"It just isn't what I imagined in my head. I'm so distracted I can't even do the one thing I'm good at!" Marinette slumped down to the floor, leaning against the railings.

"But it's wonderful, you should be proud. Don't give up now Marinette." Tikki smiled warmly at her.

In the distance, Marinette could hear the sound of something running across the rooftops. She stood up and whispered "Hide Tikki". Tikki flew behind a plant pot just as Chat Noir landed with a bow.

"Good evening Marinette."

"Hi Chat, who sent you this time?" She sighed.

Chat Noir stood up and looked at her. "No one did, I just wanted to drop by and see how you are. I'm glad I did because you seem down." He offered his hand to help her up. She took it but immediately walked towards the skylight.

"Don't waste your time being worried about me. You've got the whole of Paris to worry about."

He stepped forward and grabbed her arm. From behind the plant pot, Tikki watched carefully, hoping that if anyone could get through to her, it would be him.

"Marinette, tell me what's wrong. I'm not leaving until you do."

She sighed and turned, "It's silly really. I-I just..." She stopped, partly because she wanted Chat to relent, but also because she didn't know how to put it into words. Chat stayed silent, his normal light-hearted, jokey demeanor nowhere to be seen.

"Chloe, s-she, she's really got to me. I'm used to her trying to make my life hell. I'd even gained confidence to stand up to her. But she's been more venomous towards me recently. Alya thinks it's because this guy I like has been talking to me more and that Chloe doesn't like it. I've wanted to get closer to him for so long, but now...I don't know if I can deal with Chloe, just to have what my heart desires!" She sighed and sat back down. It sounded so stupid when she said it out loud, did she really let Chloe get to her like this?

Chat sat down next to her, but didn't look at her.

"How much do you like this guy?"

"A lot.."

"Have you told him...how you feel?" Chat asked. Marinette sighed, she looked down at her hands and started picking at the skin beside her nail. Chat waited patiently, she took a deep breath and carried on.

"No, I'm so awkward around him. I always say the wrong thing."

"Do you think he likes you back?"

"What? N-no! Haha, I-I mean. I wish he did, it would make this so much easier. But no. Why would he?" Marinette nervously stuttered.

Chat turned to look at her. "What do you mean?"

"W-well...I'm always so clumsy around him. I can never say what I mean to say. He's so kind, funny and cute, he has beautiful green eyes. But he's more than that. Girls love him for his gorgeous looks, but I love him for what's beneath." Marinette stopped, aware that she had babbled too much. She put her head back and closed her eyes. Chat stayed silent, taking in what she had said.

"You...you said you love him?" He asked.

She nodded and dropped her head into her hands. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"You're funny and strong. You're cute, you have electric blue eyes that captivate anyone who looks into them. You're smart, talented and you're VERY stubborn but I like that and I'm sure whoever this guy is like those things too."

"Chat…" She dropped her hands, opened her eyes and looked at him. She could feel her face begin to blush.

"Marinette, stop putting yourself down."

"I…" She looked away in embarrassment. His words had struck her deep down. Her insecurities swirled around and around in her head.

Chat Noir stood up and leant against the railings. He felt torn, his feelings for Ladybug, he had never doubted. But now, listening to Marinette open her heart to him, even though she had no idea that the person she liked had listened to every word. He heard her stand and start to walk to the skylight again.

"I'm sorry you had to listen to me whinge Minou." Marinette stopped and threw her hand to her mouth. She screamed at herself internally, knowing that Ladybug was the only one who called him that.

Something in his mind twitched, he felt like some pieces of the puzzle fell into place but he still couldn't see the full picture. Chat turned and wrapped his arms around her from behind. Marinette gasped but quickly relaxed into his arms. He rested his head on her shoulder and she leant her head on his. After a while Marinette turned and looked up at him. She reached out and lightly stroked his cheek. She felt a spark run through her but she ignored it and let her hand travel down his neck to his chest where she stopped. She could feel his heart beating even faster than last time.

Suddenly Chat leant towards her and kissed her before pulling away. Marinette blushed, never having kissed anyone before. She enjoyed the unexpected feeling of the warm, tingling sensation on her lips. She looked up at him, despite her opening up to him about Adrien just moments before, all she wanted right now was to feel Chats lips on hers again. She slowly lifted her hand and ran it through his hair, gripping and pulling him towards her. Her hands trembled as she brought their lips together again, but this time the uncertainty of a first kiss was replaced with a passion, ignited as they held each other tightly. Chat groaned with pleasure as their tongues locked together. She responded by pulling at his hair as he pushed himself against her. They started moving slowly until Marinette lost her footing. Chat caught her by the waist, though it wasn't enough to keep them standing. The next thing they knew, their bodies were crushed together on the sunlounger, the air filled with infectious laughter. They led there cuddling, listening to the buzz of Paris around them until Marinette broke the silence.

"Do you love Ladybug?" She asked.

Chat sighed and rested his head on hers.

"Yeah...I mean, I thought I did." He paused, carefully choosing the right words, "That hasn't changed, I'm just...a little confused right now."

"I know, we shouldn't have kissed, we just got caught up in the heat of the moment." Marinette sat up and looked at him. She felt confused too, she knew she loved Adrien, but right now, she wanted nothing more than to stay cuddled up to her kitty. He reached up and stroked her face, smiling at the red blush that scattered across her cheeks. He sat up and lightly pecked her lips.

"I should go now Princess. But promise me you won't let Chloe get to you?"

She nodded and stood up, watching as he rose to his feet. She hugged him and let go.

"Thank you kitty. I promise I won't."

He smiled and jumped into the night.

Marinette sat at her desk, resting her head on her palm and tapping a pencil on her sketch book, mulling over Chat Noir's visit the night before. She heard pounding on the ladders, leading up to her room and turned to face the hatch. Alya's beaming smile, made Marinette beam back at her, the bad mood dispelled almost instantly. Alya climbed up and immediately walked over to the dress in the corner or her room.

"Wow gurl! Is this going to be your dress for the prom?" Alya asked.

"Yep, it still needs a lot of work though."

"It's awesome Marinette! Gabriel Agreste will be begging his son to date you after he sees you in this!"

Marinette smiled and blushed, she really didn't want to think about boys right now. Thankfully Alya turned her attention to the reason she had come.

"So let's prepare for war!" Alya exclaimed.

The girls laughed and spent the rest of the day planning what they were going to do to defeat Chloe and her crony Sabrina.

Marinette giggled as she watched her friend dramatically playing out scenes of Marinette the superhero and Chloe the villain.

When Alya left later on in the evening, Marinette felt loads better. Her partner and her best friend had made her feel more confident to face the week ahead and to not let Chloe get to her again.

The next morning, Marinette woke with determination. She had promised her kitty and made battle plans with her BFF, so today was going to be a good day. She arrived at school on time and walked to her seat, watching carefully for anything that might trip her up. Sure enough, Chloe knocked her bag over, hoping that Marinette would fall but she gracefully stepped over it and sat down next to Alya who winked and fist bumped her. Adrien walked in not long after, deep in conversation with Nino. Marinette's stomach twisted with guilt at the sight of the blonde boy she had professed to have loved for so long but had enjoyed an evening of kisses and cuddles with the famous leather-clad superhero that girls swooned over. Chloe stood and started to walk towards him but tripped over her own bag, making the whole class laugh at her. She stood and growled in anger, before returning back to her seat. Adrien ignored her and sat down before turning to Marinette.

"Hey, are you feeling any better? You didn't text me."

Marinette blushed "Ohh y-yeah sorry! I was distracted, making my dress and I had a few visitors around too."

Alya butted in "Who else came to visit? You didn't tell me yesterday."

"Oh just a friend. Family friend, you know, friends who know my family?" Marinette mentally scolded herself. She knew that Alya would smell a rat, but she didn't want anyone knowing about Chat Noir's recent visits. She hadn't processed them herself, without being interrogated by Alya.

"Mmmmhmmm, you sure it was just a FAMILY friend?" Alya asked with a grin.

"Yeah course! They didn't stay long." She smiled, hoping that Alya would back down and thankfully she did. Although Marinette sensed that she would be continuing this at another time. Adrien smirked, he found it amusing that she was getting flustered at Chat Noir's visit.

Chloe sauntered over, flashing an evil grin at Marinette before she sat on the desk provocatively in front of Adrien.

"Adrikins, why didn't you come to my party, it was sooo awesome! Jagged Stone was there, XY was there! You would have had soooo much fun!" She pouted and batted her eyelashes at him.

"I didn't want to Chloe, now please can you get off my desk." Adrien snapped, surprising Chloe and everyone else around them.

"Urgh! Fine then, no need to be so rude Adrien." She stomped back to her place, flicking her hair and very loudly tutted.

"Hey dude, what's up? You're not usually that snappy with her." Nino asked.

"Oh it's nothing. I'm just fed up with her." Adrien sighed.

"Yeah man, like she's been annoying the hell outta us for years!" They both laughed but quickly stopped as the teacher walked in.

At the end of lesson, they all made their way to the lockers. Marinette was putting her books in her locker as Chloe and Sabrina walked up to her. She quickly slammed her locker shut and sidestepped, just as Chloe stepped forward in an attempt to bump into her, but instead she went flying face first into Marinette's locker door. Marinette smiled and said "Ooops, mind your step!" and she walked away giggling. Chloe huffed loudly whilst Sabrina flapped around her, making sure she was ok.

As the day went on, Chloe and Sabrina kept trying and failing to taunt Marinette. But each time, she anticipated it and managed to avoid whatever they had planned.

The bell rang for the end of the day, making Marinette breathe out a huge sigh of relief. She walked with Alya, Nino and Adrien outside, fully aware that Chloe and Sabrina tailed close behind. Chloe suddenly pushed herself between Marinette and Adrien, causing Marinette to go flying to the floor. Adrien immediately pushed Chloe out of the way and went to help Marinette up.

"Chloe! What the hell is your problem?!" Adrien shouted.

"Adriki…"

"DON'T ADRIKINS ME! I'VE HAD ENOUGH! MARINETTE HAS DONE NOTHING TO DESERVE THIS, WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!" Adrien spat venomously.

The hustle and bustle of school leaving time fell silent. Everyone stood watching, surprised at Adrien's outburst. He helped Marinette off the floor and placed his hands on her shoulders, as if to check she was all in one piece.

Chloe growled, "What has SHE done? SHE has done nothing but make MY life miserable since the day I first met her!"

"More like you made HER life miserable!" Adrien turned and shouted.

"Adrien, it's ok, I'm ok! Everyone calm down." Marinette quickly stepped in between them, hoping to diffuse the situation but they both carried on screaming at each other.

"HOW DARE YOU! I WAS YOUR ONLY FRIEND WHEN YOU FIRST CAME HERE! SHE HAS POISONED YOU AGAINST ME!" Chloe shrieked.

"NO ONE BUT YOU HAVE POISONED ME!" He spat back.

Alya and Nino jumped in between the two angry teens, both telling everyone to calm down. Marinette felt awful, yes Chloe had been pretty nasty recently, but the last thing she wanted to do was cause two friends to fall out over her.

"PLEASE! Please, just stop!" Marinette screamed as loudly as she could. Again everyone fell silent but this time they all stared at her.

"Come on Marinette, I'll walk you home." Adrien put his arm around Marinette's back, shooting an angry look in Chloe's direction. Alya and Nino quickly followed. Sabrina, who had stayed silent the whole time, stepped next to Chloe and placed her hand on her shoulder. Chloe pulled away and began storming to her chauffeur.

Adrien walked fast, with Marinette held tightly in his arm. He walked past the Gorilla, completely ignoring him. Alya and Nino worriedly looked at each other. Marinette glanced behind, watching as the Gorilla looked at them, then back to his car, then back to them again. She looked up to Adrien, his face looked stern, he looked so much like his father. She stopped, almost causing Alya to walk into her. Adrien turned in confusion. His face fell when he noticed tears streaming down Marinette's face. Alya pulled Marinette into a comforting hug. Nino shook his head and walked over to Adrien.

"Marinette, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you, I-I…" He stopped, his heart ached knowing his anger had upset the person he was trying protect.

"I'm sorry Adrien, I didn't want to come in between you and Chloe. You shouldn't fall out with her over me." She sobbed.

"No, I'm sorry! I lost my temper and I shouldn't have." He stepped towards her and tentatively pulled her towards him. They hugged for a while whilst the Gorilla slowly walked towards them.

Alya looked at the Gorilla, then at Nino, nodding at him to come to her.

"Hey Mari, me and Nino will get going, if you need me just ring. Love you gurl." Alya said.

"Thanks Alya, I'll text you later." Marinette replied. Alya grabbed Nino's arm and they walked away. The Gorilla stopped and cleared his throat. Adrien turned and looked up at him.

"I'll call you when I need you." He said apologetically. The Gorilla nodded and walked back to his car. Marinette let go of Adrien and started walking home. They walked in silence for a while, neither one of them knew what to say to the other.

"Thank you Adrien." Marinette muttered, finally breaking the silence, just as they came to the crossing outside the bakery.

"I'm really sorry, I didn't want to upset you." Adrien said regretfully.

"N-no, it's fine really. I just hope this is the end of it. Although I do feel bad on Chloe." She muttered.

"Don't feel bad, she knew what she was doing."

"I know." They stopped outside the door to her house and looked at each other.

"I hope you don't get in trouble with your father." Marinette said sadly.

"Oh don't worry. I can handle it." Adrien smiled as he pulled her towards him. She wrapped her arms around him like she did to Chat Noir days before. Adrien had to stop himself from acting like his alter ego. When she pulled away he pulled his phone out of his pocket, texting Gorilla to come and get him, then looked back at her.

"My driver will be here soon, I'll walk to the front of the shop and wait there. If you want to text me you can, but if you don't I understand." He said.

"I will Adrien, thank you for walking me home." Marinette pecked him on the cheek and turned to walk through the door.

"You're welcome." Adrien said as he watched her close the door.


	3. Chapter 3

Chloe got out of the car and slammed the door shut, she stomped into the hotel and stormed up the stairs to her Dad's office. He was chatting on the phone and looked up when he heard her come through the door. He mouthed 'Hi princess' fully expecting her to wait patiently for him to finish his phone call. But she didn't, she slammed her bag onto his desk and started ranting at the top of her voice. "How dare she! HOW DARE SHE! Daddy, I want you to get Marinette kicked out of school!" She cried.

Mayor Bourgeois quickly brought his phone call to an end, stood up and glared at his daughter.

"Chloe, that was a very important phone call. Please do not do that again!" He said sternly.

"But Daddy! Marinette has been SOOO awful to me today! She's bullying me Daddy!" She whined.

"Chloe darling, I can't have a student expelled, it wouldn't look good."

"But DADDY!" Interrupted Chloe.

"Enough! I do not have time to deal with this, I have to make another VERY important phone call. We will talk about this later!" He bellowed.

"URGH! This is utterly ridiculous!" She retorted, yanking her bag off the desk and slamming the door against the wall as she stormed out. She ran to her room and started throwing things at the wall. Smashing anything breakable in sight. Then she came across a picture of her and Adrien, when they were a lot smaller, playing dress up. Adrien as a knight and Chloe as a princess. A tear rolled down her cheek, but before it had reached her chin, the sadness she felt turned to anger and she threw it with all of her strength, at her balcony door. The picture shattered into tiny pieces and where the frame hit the door, there was a big crack in the glass. She dropped to her knees, unable to control the anger surging through her. A dark butterfly landed on a bracelet that hung loosely on her wrist. Then a voice spoke to her, that familiar voice she had heard once before.

"Hello again, this time I will call you The Tormentor. Anyone who has wronged you will suffer your wrath. And in return…" Hawkmoth sneered.  
"I will bring you their miraculouses." Chloe smirked, as she interrupted.

"Yes, go forth and torment your victims, Tormentor." He laughed, loud and wild.

A dark energy consumed her body and in its wake, a huge monster rose to its feet. It had a large black head with two sets of eyes, the extra where Chloe's sunglasses had once been, each one with a menacing shade of yellow. Where Chloe's immaculate hair was, there was now a wild shade of red which cascaded down its back, seemingly with a mind of its own, swishing from one side to another, almost how an angry cat flicks the tip of its tail. It's mouth had a terrifying grin with sharp teeth protruding out. It had an extra set of limbs, with huge, sharp claws. It's black body was large and muscular, with long, muscular legs and long claws where Chloe's toes once were. It shrieked, before smashing through the balcony door and crawled up the side of the building.

When Adrien got home, his father had interrogated him, wanting to know why he was so late. But he remained silent and happily obeyed when his father banished him to his room. As he threw his bag to the floor, Plagg flew out of his shirt, stopping when he was at eye level with Adrien.

"Are you ok kid?" Plagg asked softly.

"Yeah I'm alright, it just wish I'd dealt with Chloe better. I scared her Plagg, I scared Marinette." Adrien sighed.

"She wasn't scared, she just didn't want to see you two argue." Plagg tried to reassure him.

"I could see it in her eyes when I walked her home." Adrien argued.

"Kid believe me, she wasn't scared. Marinette is a strong kid too, but she doubts herself. She probably thought it was all her fault."

"What! No, no! None of this was her fault!" Adrien gasped. "I've got to see her, she has to know this wasn't her fault!"

"You can't go all guns blazing as Chat Noir, she'd smell a rat straight away. It's gotta come from Adrien." Plagg carefully explained. For once, Plagg was the sensible one out of the two, Adrien thought. So he nodded and pulled his phone out.

16:11 **I'm sorry about before Mari, please don't think any of this is your fault. Could I come over? I won't stay long, I just want to talk xx**

He watched his phone for a couple of minutes, Marinette was always quick to reply, but nothing happened. 'She's probably trying to think of a polite way of saying no' he thought. Adrien placed his phone on the table and walked through to the shower room.

He took his time in the shower to give Marinette as much time to reply as possible. Plagg floated over to the desk once Adrien had dried and dressed himself and started munching on a piece of camembert. Adrien sat down and picked his phone up to check for messages. But still there was nothing. He relaxed back on the sofa, wondering why she hadn't text him back. He dropped his phone in frustration and threw his hands to his face. Plagg floated over and sat on his shoulder.

"Text her again, she might not have heard her phone." He said, still munching on his cheese.

"Plagg, I've scared her off haven't I?" Adrien moaned.

"No you've not, text her again or I will!" Plagg said firmly.

"Alright, alright." He picked up his phone and walked over to the window.

16:29 **Is everything ok? I'll leave you alone if you want, I just want to know that you're ok xx**

He put his head on the window frame and closed his eyes. He suddenly felt a strange, horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach. He tried to call her, but it went straight to voicemail. He turned to Plagg to see that he had stopped eating and his eyes had widened like he was looking at something terrible.

"I take it back, I think Chat Noir does need to go in all guns blazing." Plagg said nervously. Adrien immediately shouted "Claws out!" and jumped out of the window and ran as fast as he could. The closer he got to the bakery, the bigger the dread in stomach got. He knew and Plagg knew, something terrible had happened. He didn't know what or how, but this only made him run even faster. Pushing himself to the absolute limit. Once he saw the bakery he slowed down, trying to catch his breath before landing on her balcony. He called for her, trying his best to sound as calm as possible. But he could hear nothing. He crouched down by the skylight and gently opened it, he peered inside but the room was empty so he shut it and stood up. He thought for a moment, before leaping off the roof to the street below. 'Claws in' he whispered before walking up to the door and knocking. A tall, large man answered the door who he instantly recognised as Tom, Marinette's father. He smiled as naturally as he could, using his skills as a model to mask the fear which was consuming him inside.

"Hi Mr Du…"

"Tom, call me Tom." He said warmly.

"Hi Tom, is Marinette here?" Adrien asked.

"No sorry, she left a little while ago in a rush. Said she was going to Alya's. She was upset when she came home from school but wouldn't tell us what was wrong." Tom said with a hint of concern in his voice.

"Oh ok, I'll ring her and see where she is. Chloe wasn't nice with her after school." Adrien said as casually as he could.

"Ahh that makes sense, well I s'pose I should give the school a ring. Do you want to come inside and wait here whilst you ring her?" Tom kindly asked.

"No, that's ok. But thank you for the offer." Adrien smiled.

"Okay, well if you see her, tell her to text us back to let us know if she's in for tea or not, if that's ok?"

"Yes I will, thank Mr-er-Tom" Adrien corrected himself.

"You're welcome and thank you for being a wonderful friend to our Marinette! Bye now."

"Bye." Adrien turned and opened his shirt for Plagg to come out.

"Something's not right Plagg, I can feel it."

"Me too kid." Plagg flew back into his shirt as he turned and started running. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and rang Nino. He tried twice but both times it went straight to voicemail. He huffed and carried on running. Eventually he came to Alya's house, he knocked quickly, hoping that Marinette would be there. Alya answered the door and looked confused at the state that Adrien was in. Nino's head popped around the door not long after.

"Hey dude, how's Marinette? I tried to ring but I have no signal on my phone." He said when he saw Adrien, gasping for breath at the door.

"Wait what? She isn't here?" Adrien worriedly asked.

"No, I text her before asking her to come over but she didn't reply. We thought she was still with you." Alya said concerned.

"Her parents said she left a while ago to come to yours. Where is she?" He said, unable to hide his fear any longer. Alya and Nino looked at each other, then back to Adrien. Nino briefly moved out of sight.

"I don't know? I think we should look for her." Alya said, fear beginning to show on her face too.

"Yeah, I'll go to the school, you two go to the library." Adrien said just as Nino appeared again with his and Alya's jackets.

"No way man, we should stay together, if our phones can't ring each other we'll all end up worried!" He responded with concern in his voice too.

"Yeah, you're right." Adrien said, frustrated that he couldn't transform back to his alter ego. He could find her much quicker that way.

The three friends walked to the school, Alya and Nino trying to stay positive, telling Adrien they think she probably just went for a walk to clear her head and was probably back home eating tea with her parents. But Adrien knew that wasn't the case. The feeling in his stomach grew more as time went on. He desperately wanted to get away to search or her himself. But he just could not think of a good enough excuse to part ways. They climbed the steps up to the school and walked through the door. As they headed towards the library, Miss Bustier walked out of a room and started walking towards them when she saw them.

"Hello, what are you doing back here?" She asked suspiciously.

"Marinette has gone missing and she's not answering her phone so we thought we would see if she came back here Miss." Alya replied.

"Well I'm sorry she's not here, all the other classrooms are locked and she wasn't in my room. I will ask the caretaker to have another look around but I suggest you go to see her parents." Miss Bustier said.

"Sorry Miss, we'll go now." Nino replied.

They all turned around and started heading back to Marinette's. They began talking about all the places they would check after they'd spoken to her parents. In the distance they could hear loud bangs and screeches. The hair on Adrien's neck stood on end. As they went down the steps and turned the corner, to their horror they saw the bakery, or what was left of it. They stopped in shock at what lay in front of them. The building had been crushed, with parts of it laying a large distance away from it. People were running around, seemingly screaming at nothing. Adrien ran as fast as he could towards the wreckage. He stopped when he came across Marinette's parents. Alya ran straight to Sabine and hugged her.

"What happened? Where is Marinette?" Alya asked, her voice strained as she tried not to cry.

Sabine dropped to the floor wailing Marinette's name. Tom got down to his knees and cradled his wife.

"A huge monster had her, had my baby." He trailed off trying hard to talk.

"A monster, what do you mean a monster?" Adrien asked. His heart pounding in his chest.

"A huge, awful looking thing, it started smashing our house, laughing. It was saying something, I-I think to Marinette. Oh god, Marinette, it had Marinette in one of its claws. Sh-she w-was…" Tom couldn't fight the tears anymore, they streamed down his face making the three friends begin to panic.

"She was what?" Alya gently asked.

"Sh-she...looked...d-dead." He began sobbing uncontrollably.

Nino turned around and yelled in despair. Alya started crying, repeating 'no...noooo' over and over. Adrien stood shellshocked. He felt Plagg poke him hard in his chest, making him spring out of the daze.

"A-are you sure she was dead? Has Ladybug gone after them. Ladybug will save her. She can't be dead, please tell me you're wrong." Adrien dropped to the floor and held Sabine's hand.

"I-I don't know...she w-was unconscious and...and...sh-she was bleeding. Ohhhh Tomm, our baby! Please, noooo." Sabine began wailing again.

Adrien stood up and turned towards the wreckage, "I'm going after it. If there's a chance she's still alive, I have to be there, I have to help." He said with resolve.

"Me and Nino are coming with you. There is no way you're going alone." Alya demanded.

Adrien knew he had no choice, so he agreed and they set off towards the chaos that the monster had left behind.

Cars were flattened, buildings collapsing, people running around screaming. The further they got, the worse the devastation became. People seemed to be in a fearsome trance. Some people attacked the air, whilst others held their hands to their ears, crying. Then there, in the distance they saw Marinette, lying lifeless in the road. Alya screamed and dropped to the floor, Nino grabbed his girlfriend and began crying. Adrien walked forwards, and knelt down by Marinette. He started to reach towards her when all of a sudden he felt something wrap around him, squeezing so tight he could hardly breathe, he looked at Marinette and yelled as he watched a giant claw pick her up. The claw lifted him up and brought him to its terrifying face. Adrien saw a flash in the corner of his eye and when he could see the source, his stomach dropped. It was a giant sized bracelet that his father had once given to Chloe on her birthday. Adrien began to cry and called out for Ladybug. Where was she? Why wasn't she here, protecting Paris?

The monster began to squeeze him even tighter, causing him to scream in pain. A purple outline appeared on the monsters face, distracting it from inflicting pain on Adrien.

As Hawkmoth watched, he noticed the boy in the Tormentors grip. He instantly recognised his sons golden hair, causing him to panic.

"Tormentor! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Hawkmoth shouted.

"I am tormenting them, isn't that what I'm supposed to do?" Tormentor grinned.

"NOOO! I WANT LADYBUG AND CHAT NOIR'S MIRACULOUSES. PUT THAT BOY DOWN NOW!" He yelled angrily.

"They will come, but right now I want to crush the life out of these tw…"

"PUT HIM DOWN NOW!" Hawkmoth tried to constrict the monsters throat with his power, but the monster was too strong. Hawkmoth put his hands on his head in despair.

"That wasn't nice Hawkmoth, why does this puny human mean so much to you? Ladybug and Chat Noir will be here soon, so let me crush this boy!" The monster cackled.

But Hawkmoth didn't reply, the monster stayed silent for a while, listening for Hawkmoth's response. When it realised that Hawkmoth wasn't going to reply, the monster laughed and began to squeeze Adrien again. It carried on walking, smashing buildings and when it glared into people's eyes, it caused them to be in trapped in a terrifying illusion. They were being tormented with their worst fears.

A dark figure suddenly jumped up and started attacking it. He kept throwing black butterflies into the air, each one finding someone nearby and granting them powers. But they were different to normal akumatized people, they seemed to be in a trance, like something or someone, was controlling them. Adrien saw a butterfly hit Nino, he turned into the Bubbler once again and began fighting the monster. Alya screamed at him but was also hit by a butterfly, turning her into Lady Wifi. The mysterious figure attacked the arm that was holding Adrien. The monster wailed and swung one of its free arms at the man. The grip on Adrien began to loosen so Adrien wriggled free from it. He dropped to the floor and ran behind an upturned car. He shouted "Claws out!" and ran to join the battle.

More and more people became akumatized, but the mysterious figure would not stop. When he noticed Chat Noir he fought his way to his side.

"Chat Noir, we can only defeat this monster with the help of Ladybug, WHERE IS SHE?!" He yelled.

"I don't know! I don't understand why she isn't here!" Chat shouted back.

One of the monsters huge limbs slammed into Chat, sending him flying to the ground. He quickly got back to his feet and jumped up towards the claws that held Marinette. The Tormentor screeched, causing everyone around it to collapse in pain. It laughed when it saw everything falling to the floor. Chat launched himself into the air, with a dozen akuma victims following behind. He landed on the monsters shoulder and made his way down to Marinette. He placed his baton next to her and activated it, making the monster lose grip of her. He caught her and quickly ran around the back of the monster and down a street.

He ran and ran until he could no longer hear the battle. He stopped and fell to his knees cradling her, crying out her name. He saw a red flash zoom past his face but didn't look. He didn't care who or what it was, nothing mattered. No one could take this pain away, not even Ladybug. When he saw her lifeless body led on the floor, it had hit him like a brick wall. He loved Marinette, but it was too late. A tiny voice spoke to him, but he ignored it, he was too grief stricken to speak. But the voice persisted, adamant that it would be heard. Chat stopped crying and turned to look at whatever was bugging him. What he saw, made his body freeze. A small, red creature that looked very like Plagg, hovered not far from his face with a sad look.

"Chat, we can save her, but we have to act fast. She's fading quickly and we need her to stop Chloe." Tikki said calm but firmly.

"S-she's still...a-alive?! Tell me how to save her please!" Chat stammered.

"We have to take her to the Guardian of the Miraculouses, Master Fu. Did Plagg ever take you?" Tikki asked.

"Who? N-no, no he nev...wait how do you know Plagg? Where's Ladybug?!" Chat couldn't process what he was seeing. He blinked, looking from Marinette to Tikki, desperately trying to understand.

"I'll explain after, but right now we have to get Marinette to Master Fu. Please!" Tikki pleaded.

Chat nodded and stood up, Tikki flew to Marinette's shoulder and held onto her. Chat began running as Tikki gave him directions. As he ran, Chat was trying to work out what was happening. 'Was Marinette, Ladybug? No, surely there was another explanation' he thought.

He burst through the Master's door and led her down on the floor in front of an elderly man, who seemed familiar to him, but he couldn't quite place. The old man put his hand on Chat's shoulder, he seemed to mutter something but Chat couldn't hear what. He then bowed and turned to Marinette.

"W-will, she be ok?" Chat asked, but the man didn't reply.

Tikki turned and glided over to him. "Chat, he will do his best, but you need to go back. Paris is in danger, you are the only one who can stop the monster now. Ladybug will come when…" Tikki looked down "...if she can. You are our only hope right now."

Chat and Tikki both couldn't hold back the tears, but he knew he had to go. So he took a deep breath and ran out of the door.

As Chat ran, he thought of everything that had just happened. After finally realising Ladybug wasn't the love of his life, Marinette was, his world had been turned upside down by the revelation that Ladybug and Marinette were one and the same. Memories of past moments when one broke out of character began flooding his mind. So much was beginning to make sense to him. How could he not have worked it out before? He just couldn't understand. He had so much he wanted to ask that little red bug, but there wasn't enough time.

More and more memories flooded his mind, of every moment he had spent with Ladybug, with Marinette. He became more determined with every thought and feeling that washed over him. He would save Paris whilst the little red bug and the old man saved his love, sweet, endearing Marinette, strong, confident, stunning Ladybug. He had never felt this much determination or affection in his entire life. He would bring down the akuma and tell Marinette how much he loved her, how much she couldn't leave him, not now, she had to live and he had to make sure she would have a Paris to return to.

The monster screeched again, making everyone drop to the floor once again. Hawkmoth was at his limit and began to lose power because of utter exhaustion. One by one, each of the akuma victims began to detransform, causing panic and confusion, distracting the monster and Hawkmoth.

He tried to stand, but the pain in his head was unbearable. Even though the monster had stopped screeching, the power and intensity had inflicted too much pain. He tried to send more butterflies out, but no matter how hard he tried, he didn't have the energy to akumatize anyone. Hawkmoth fell back, lying on his back with no protection from the four angry claws that slashed around him. He couldn't see the girl or his son. He tried to stand once again, but this time it wasn't the physical pain that stopped him, it was the monster's big yellow eyes, staring deep into him. He began to shout, but it quickly turned into uncontrollable sobs, curling his knees up to his chest. All around him, he saw each of his akuma's, killing his wife and son, over and over again. He was paralysed with fear, he tried to shout out once again, but nothing came out, he began to tremble. His life was nothing without his wife and son. He closed his eyes and began to imagine cuddling his wife, placing gentle kisses across her jawline, breathing in her wonderful scent, watching her play fight with their son. But he was abruptly torn away from the peace in his mind by a black cat that landed beside him, lifting him over its shoulder and moving him out of danger.

Hawkmoth screamed "What are you doing? Why did you save me? I am Hawkmoth, I have have been trying to destroy you for so long, why would you save me?"

"I saved you, because under that mask is a human being, and I believe that you can change. You came out to take down an Akuma of your own making, to save a boy and a girl, who's lives were at risk. I don't know why you did, but I do know that deep down in there…" Chat placed his hand over Hawkmoths heart "...there is something you love, something you want to protect and there is nothing as powerful than love. Not even evil. Now come and help me with this...cat-astrophe will ya?" Chat stood up and winked. He ran back to the monster leaving Hawkmoth shocked and confused.

Hawkmoth sat there and watched, shaking his head in frustration. Even though he was very annoying and still a sworn enemy, he had touched a nerve, deep within him. As he tried to calm down, the visions of his wife and son, started to fade. Hawkmoth took a deep breath and rose to his feet. He growled and ran back towards the chaos.

Chat and Hawkmoth, battled furiously, occasionally trading ideas of how to stop the beast, but nothing they did seemed to work. Chat clung the back of the monster as it tried to swat him away. Hawkmoth ran around it, trying to distract it, whilst he came up with a plan. He lured the monster towards the Eiffel Tower, trying desperately to get close enough that Chat could use cataclysm to trap it. But the monster laughed and turned to him.

"I know what you are doing Hawkmoth! I'm bored with you now so I'm going to squash you like a bug!" It sneered. It slammed one of its hands down, narrowly missing him. Hawkmoth dodged another hit but the third was too fast.

Just as the claw came down, knocking him to the ground, a yo-yo string wrapped around the monsters wrist, stopping it from completely crushing him. People who were hidden began screaming 'Ladybug'. Chat and Hawkmoth traded worried glances when they finally saw Ladybug. Her normally neat hair was loose and messy, she had rips all over her suit, with blood dripping down her. She as very unsteady on her feet, unable to stay in any position for too long. He face was whiter than snow and her normally sparkling, bluebell eyes looked dull and exhausted. Hawkmoth and Chat Noir rushed to try and get to her, but the monster took advantage of their lapse of concentration and grabbed them both, tightly in its claws. Ladybug threw her yo-yo in the air, shouting 'Lucky Charm' in a painful rasp. A set of chains and a padlock fell down, landing in front of her. Chat and Hawkmoth both desperately tried to shout to her but the monster gripped tightly causing them to scream in agony. Suddenly a red flash went past them both with a metal clanging noise. Despite her obvious injuries, Ladybug darted around the monster, tangling the chains around it. The monster was too big and slow to react fast enough.

The monster screamed, "I hate you, I HATE YOU ALL!" in anger.

Ladybug looked up at the monster bound in chains, unable to move. She walked over to the bracelet, gasping for breath and snapped it, releasing the akuma. She threw the yo-yo at it, mumbling, "It's time to de-evilize!" catching it and all the others that Hawkmoth released from the victims. She then threw the chains and padlock into the air shouting "Miraculous Ladybug!".

A wash of red, covered the city, repairing all the damage done by the monster, all except for Ladybug who collapsed to the floor unconscious. Chat and Hawkmoth ran over to her. Chat cradled her and spoke softly to her. Hawkmoth knelt down and looked over her beaten body. He felt sorrow and regret for unleashing the awful monster that Chloe became. All he ever wanted was to possess their Miraculouses to find his wife. He had gotten carried away with the power he had. But despite this, he still wasn't about to give up. He reached out and gently stroked her hair.

Chat looked up and said, "I guess you're going to take our Miraculouses now?"

Hawkmoth ran his hand along her cheek, tucking her hair behind her ear, gently running his thumb over her beeping earring. He stopped and placed his hand on Chat's shoulder. Then he stood and turned away, taking a deep breath and looked up to the sky.

"Not today, I didn't want this, I-I just…" He shook his head and started walking away.

"I will not akumatise anyone until she is better. But if she dies, I will come for both of the Miraculouses!" He shouted as he ran away.

Chloe slowly walked up and started to speak but stopped when she saw the anger on his face.

"I'm really sorry, please forgive me." She croaked. He stayed silent, afraid to speak because he knew he would lose his temper at her. She muttered "Sorry" again and walked away.

Chat looked down at Ladybug and saw she only had 3 spots remaining, so he stood and lifted her. He began to run back to Master Fu, with tears streaming down his face.

Chat Noir burst through the old man's door once again, laying her down like he had before. Master Fu shook his head and knelt in front of her. Chat sat down next to her and grabbed her hand. The last spot faded and a bright red flash, revealed Marinette's torn up body. He kissed her hand, wishing for her to hold on. The red bug swirled over her falling out of the air, Chat caught her and placed her on Marinette's chest.

"Y-you can save them right?" Chat asked.

"I don't know, I told her to stay until I finished healing her, but she wouldn't. Tikki I can save, but Marinette...only time will tell." The old man sadly said.

Chat looked at her face, she looked so peaceful, not how she was, only minutes before.

"You should release Plagg, he needs a rest too." The old man ordered.

"B-but you...will…" Chat protested.

"I already know who you are, I chose you both."

"Plagg, claws in." Chat said. A flash of green and Plagg came swirling out. He didn't acknowledge Adrien, he simply flew to Tikki and wrapped his arms around her, nuzzling her affectionately. Adriens heart melted, Plagg was annoying sure, but seeing him like this, really made him adore the Kwami more.

Hours passed, but Marinette still didn't wake. Tikki opened her eyes and turned to see Plagg still cuddling her but snoring loudly. She looked over at Adrien who was led next to Marinette, resting his head gently on her shoulder. Then she turned to Marinette, who still looked deathly pale but less beaten. The old man gently picked Tikki up and brought her over to a platter of food. Tikki gratefully began eating the sweet treats that lay on her plate, feeling stronger with every mouthful. Adrien stirred and and sat up sleepily. The old man gestured for him to come and join them, which he happily did. They sat in silence watching Marinette and Plagg sleep peacefully.

"Will she be ok?" Adrien whispered.

"I have done all I can, I hope she will but it will take time. I will help you take her to her parents once you have finished eating." The old man replied. Adrien nodded and carried on eating.


	4. Chapter 4

It had long since gone dark and the moon shone brightly over the streets of Paris. Adrien knocked on the bakery door. He saw a light switch on and a rattle of keys, Tom and Sabine opened and smiled at him. They both walked out and hugged him tightly. Adrien was taken aback but happy to feel loved, even if they weren't his parents. Another figure came from behind and Adrien froze when he saw his father. But instead of his usual stern look, he looked tired and unkempt. When he looked at Adrien, joy washed over him and he joined in the hug, making Adrien want to pinch himself.

The old man came and stood next to them and waited for them to finish. When they all stood back, Sabine's happy look turned back to the grief stricken one he saw earlier that day.

"H-have you found my daughter?" She asked, choking up.

"Yes, but she is very ill, we must take her to hospital." The old man answered.

"S-she's alive? Oh thank goodness, thank you, thank you!" Sabine turned and embraced her husband, who didn't say anything but his face said it all, tears of joy streamed down his face. Gabriel too, had a relieved look, which surprised Adrien. 'Where is Gabriel Agreste and what have you done with him?' Adrien thought. But no matter how much his father was acting out of character, he enjoyed every second of it. He had come to believe that his father was void of emotion, that the only thing resembling emotion was disappointment and anger. But tonight, he was showing emotions like never before, sadness, worry, relief, joy. How strange and life changing today was starting to turn out. Marinette the love of his life, Marinette is Ladybug, Plagg showing love and affection to Tikki, Gabriel acting like a real father, showing real emotion. Adrien would have been jumping for joy, if it wasn't for the state that Marinette was in. He turned around and walked to the car. He climbed back in and cradled her once again. The old man offered everyone a lift, Gabriel accepted and sat in the front passenger seat, Tom and Sabine politely declined and followed behind in their own car.

On the way to the hospital, Adrien pulled his phone out and started typing to Nino.

02:38 **Hey Nino, I found Marinette, we're on the way to the hospital. Please will you let Alya know? I'm with Mari's parents. A**

02:44 **Dude, how bad is she? Alya's been cryin all night. We'll come n see her in the mornin, don't wanna overcrowd her wen she needs sleep. Send our love. N**

02:45 **Pretty bad, but she will be ok, I hope. Yeah probs best, see you in the morning. Will do. A**

He put his phone back into his pocket and began stroking Marinette's hair. Gabriel looked behind and gave Adrien an awkward, sad smile. He turned back and took his glasses off, cleaning them on the corner of his shirt.

"So...you really like this girl then?" Gabriel awkwardly asked.

Adrien blushed and his eyes immediately shot the the rearview mirror, watching the old man. He thought for a moment and said "Yeah."

"Why haven't you told me that you've got a girlfriend?" Gabriel asked, a bit less awkwardly.

The old man stifled a smile, but focused on the road in front. Adrien could feel Plagg, jabbing his ribs and Tikki shaking her head. He almost laughed, but quickly bit his lip.

"She's not my girlfriend, she's just a friend." Adrien murmured.

"Oh, I see." Gabriel answered.

'Oh, I see? What DO you see exactly father?' Adrien frustratedly thought. He sighed and carried on playing with Marinette's hair.

"Sooo...have you told her how you feel?" Gabriel continued.

"N-no...not yet. I will when she's well enough. Right now, I just want her to get better…" Adrien replied. Gabriel nodded and remained silent for the rest of the journey.

The next morning, Alya came bursting through the doors to the room Marinette was in, startling everyone in the room. She could tell they had all just abruptly woken up to the sound of the door squealing as she opened it. She regretted being so loud, she didn't realise people were with her. Sabine smiled and got up, she walked over and hugged Alya and turned back to everyone.

"Shall we go and get some breakfast in the cafe?" She asked her husband.

"Definitely, my stomach is roaring." Tom chuckled, making Alya and Nino giggle.

"I will join you if you don't mind, Mrs Cheng?" Gabriel asked.

"Of course, do you want us to bring anything Adrien?" She smiled, turning to Adrien.

"Yes please, buttery toast would be great!" He beamed at her.

The three adults left the room, leaving Adrien, Alya and Nino with the still unconscious Marinette. Alya quickly walked over and sat next to Marinette, gently picking her hand up and stroking it with her thumb.

"Oh gurl, please come back to us soon. I miss your clumsiness." She weeped.

Nino came up behind and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Dude, she looks so...fragile. What have the doctors said?" He asked.

"She's got a lot of broken bones, she was bleeding internally but they rushed her into surgery and managed to stop it. They won't know how bad her concussion is until she wakes up, but they are optimistic as the brain scan was all normal. So they're monitoring her closely." Adrien explained.

Nino and Alya nodded. They sat there for a while, watching the slow rise and fall of her chest, listening to all the machines around her beeping. Alya looked over to Adrien, who looked absolutely awful, his hair was a mess, he had big bags under his eyes, she could tell he had not slept much at all. She smiled warmly at him, knowing that if Marinette were to wake up, she'd probably pass out again seeing a sleep deprived Adrien at her bedside, clasping her hand.

"It's so strange seeing your Dad here. I didn't know he knew Mari?" She thought out loud. Adrien looked up and gazed at her.

"Yeah, I know. I've seen a whole new side to him these past 24 hours."

"Why don't you go and join them in the cafe. We'll let you know if anything changes." Alya said.

"No, I want to be here when she wakes up. I have to be." Adrien looked back to Marinette and silently prayed that she would be ok.

 _The world was spinning, bright colours surrounded her. Tikki was dancing with another Kwami that resembled a black cat. An old man sat meditating beneath the dancing Kwami's. Marinette reached out to try and touch them, but they all disappeared. A shadow got closer and closer. She tried to run but her legs wouldn't move, she tried to scream but her voice wouldn't work. Her world got darker and darker._

Adrien had begged his father to let him stay off school for the rest of the week, but Gabriel refused, saying that going to school would be good for him. That he needed to see his friends. He had been very different since the evening the akuma attacked, but he would quickly fall back into character when he wanted his own way. Adrien reluctantly agreed, after Sabine and Tom promised they would ring him if Marinette woke up. He was beginning to feel like they were his second family, he really enjoyed their company. Tom was very funny, but very caring and Sabine was full of motherly love. She fussed over him like he was her son. He had learnt a great deal about Marinette during the days he'd spent glued to her bedside.

He felt so happy, but as each day passed that she remained unconscious, the more worried he had become. He knew this is why his father wanted him back in school. He knew that the hustle and bustle of school would briefly distract him, even so, Adrien still didn't want to go.

He walked into the classroom with his head down. He dreaded seeing Chloe again, he wasn't ready for her to be her usual suffocating self, but he was pleasantly surprised when she remained in her seat, merely smiling at him before turning back to Sabrina and quietly chatting. He sat next to Nino, looking at the empty seat behind him and Alya who wasn't her usual bubbly self. She sat there quietly, exchanging notes with Nino. He watched as Nino drew love hearts around what he had written before passing it back to her, making her blush. It warmed Adrien's heart to see how close his best friend and Alya had become. He could see the depth of their love everytime they exchanged glances. He longed for the chance to tell Marinette how he felt. Even if she turned him down, he knew he wanted her in his life so he would settle with friend, no matter how difficult it might be. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves and looked at the clock. He just had to get through today and tomorrow, then he could be back with her.

 _She was swinging through the air as Ladybug. She flew over rooftops, enjoying the sunset each time she swung up to the sky. Chat Noir was running behind, they were laughing so much, at what she didn't know. She swung higher and higher, but she suddenly lost her grip and began falling. She tried to scream for Chat Noir, but he couldn't reach her in time. She fell into the river, the water was rough, the weather had turned stormy, creating big waves. She could see Chat desperately trying to swim to her. But she couldn't keep her head above the water. She sunk to the bottom, but instead of drowning, she felt she could breathe. Brightly coloured fish swam around her. They seemed to be dancing in the water. Then she saw Chloe swimming towards her. She tried to yell at her to stay away, but she could no longer breathe. She started to panic as Chloe got closer and closer, a menacing grin plastered on her face. She tried to scream but darkness surrounded her again_.

A week had passed, but Marinette showed no signs of waking. Doctors said she was healing nicely, but she had been so close to death that her body was working too hard. Her room had been filled with lots of cards, balloons, teddies and flowers, showing how much people cared for her. Almost everyone in her class had visited her, even some of her teachers had popped their head in to offer support to her parents. They had told her parents they would allow her to sit her exams when she was ready. That they don't need to worry about her missing out at school. Adrien and Alya came everyday. Sabine and Tom took it in turns staying with her. Marinette was rarely alone.

It was finally the weekend again and Adrien knew he would be on his own with her, he'd rang around to ask when everyone would be there. He'd been looking after Tikki, the old man said she could have come to stay with him but Adrien had been insistent on having her stay with him. Tikki was always in Adrien's shirt whenever he visited but hadn't been able to come out because of everyone around. So Adrien had made it his mission to be alone with Marinette to let Tikki spend time with her. He was very fond of Tikki and he knew Plagg was head-over-heels in love with her. He denied it everytime they'd been alone but the blush on his face said it all. He even wondered if Plagg loved Tikki more than cheese. Was that even possible?

He walked through the doors, over to her bedside, replacing the flowers he'd brought with him a few days earlier. He'd never bought flowers before, but since Marinette had been in hospital he had become quite the expert at arranging them in a vase. He looked back at the door, checking the coast was clear and opened his shirt for Tikki to fly out. She went straight to Marinette's cheek and cuddled her. She led there for a long time, talking to Marinette about all the adventures she was having with Plagg and Adrien. But no matter how much fun she was having, she wouldn't be happy until she woke up. Tikki placed a kiss on Marinette's cheek and the heart beat monitor suddenly started bleeping madly. Tikki panicked and flew straight back to Adrien, just as lots of doctors and nurses came flooding in. He stood there feeling helpless, watching as they battled to save her. She flatlined twice, but each time they worked their magic and got her heart beating again. Adrien stood there, watching them pump her chest, then shock her back to life. He fumbled in his pocket, desperately trying to ring Tom and Sabine. They finally picked up and said they would be there as soon as possible. He dropped into the chair behind him and started to cry. Once they had managed to stabilize her, a doctor came over with a box of tissues and rubbed his shoulder. They explained they were rushing her back into surgery as they suspected she was bleeding internally again. He could feel Tikki silently sobbing in his shirt, he wanted to take her out and comfort her, but he would have to wait until they got back home.

 _The sky was blood red, the buildings in the distance were so black she couldn't see any details. She turned to see Ladybug in front of her, she said 'Spots off' and became Marinette. She looked into her own eyes, they looked tired and sad. She reached her hand out to touch her, but she vanished. The floor began to swirl, pulling her down and down. She tried to grab onto something but she wasn't strong enough. Suddenly Chat grabbed her hand, shouting for her to come back to him, she tried to pull herself up but their hands separated. The last thing she saw was Chat turning into Adrien. Then her vision became black._

The doctors had told Tom and Sabine that their daughter, although she was fighting, they weren't sure how long she could for. They had rushed her back into surgery to stem yet another bleed. But her heart was getting weaker. It was struggling to keep up with extensive damage done to her body. Adrien stood there, his world collapsing around him. He saw the grief on Marinette's parents faces. They turned to look at him, Sabine broke from her husband's arms and walked towards Adrien. She hugged him tightly, slightly swaying like she would sway a baby. Adrien released all of the pain he was feeling, sobbing uncontrollably. Tom came over and placed his arms around them both.

"She's a fighter, she will fight, I know she will. She will come back to us." Tom said supportively.

They stood there for what felt like a very long time. Adrien could feel Tikki hugging him too. He decided he would go to see the old man again. Surely he could do something.

When visiting hours were over he walked to the Gorilla and told him he would ring him when he wanted picking up. He had said he needed to clear his head, hoping that the bodyguard would understand that. He was relieved when he nodded and drove away.

Adrien made his way to the old man's house. When he got there, he was about to knock when Master Fu opened the door, smiling at him.

He walked through and sat on the floor, letting Tikki and Plagg fly out to munch on the cookies and cheese laid on a plate for them. Adrien almost felt as though the old man was expecting him.

"The doctors say she is weak. Why isn't she getting better? Why didn't her magic heal her? I don't understand?" Adrien asked.

"It is very complicated. But the cure would not work on her because she sustained too much damage and transformed when her body normally couldn't do. She only managed to transform because of the strength of her will power. She didn't want to fail. She had to save Paris even though she was aware of the risks. She alone made this decision and she alone is the one who can save herself." Master Fu explained.

"How can she save herself if the doctors can't save her?!" Adrien shouted. He immediately regretted it. He knew it wasn't the old man's fault, he just felt so helpless. He had come here hoping that Master Fu could heal her, but to learn there was nothing anyone could do had cut him deep.

The old man sat for a while, allowing Adrien to calm down.

"Sorry." Adrien said when Tikki and Plagg stopped eating and looked at him.

"Some things, man cannot do, technology cannot heal. She has to find the power within, then she will live." Master Fu said. He walked over and placed a hand on Adrien's shoulder "I believe in her, so should you. She is strong, she just has to realise it."

Adrien nodded. He knew she was strong, he just hoped she knew it too.

 _She was back in her room, sat on the chaise, but it was so quiet. She stood up and walked to her ladders. She climbed up, through the skylight onto the balcony. In the distance she could see the monster destroying buildings. She put her hands up to her ears to feel for her Miraculous, but they weren't there. She stood, watching the chaos in front of her but what could she do? Marinette was nothing without Ladybug. But then she remembered back to when Chloe first became akumatized. Tikki had told her that she was Ladybug, with or without a Miraculous. So she climbed up the railings and jumped. She expected to fall, but almost like magic, she had transformed into Ladybug. She shouted with joy and swung towards the monster which she swiftly defeated._


	5. Chapter 5

Adrien, Tom and Sabine where sat around Marinette's bed, telling each other jokes. Each trying to be funnier than the other. Adrien was using lots of cat jokes, which Sabine and Tom were finding hilarious, even saying he'd make a good Chat Noir. Marinette slowly opened her eyes. Everything was blurred so she blinked a few times to try and focus. At first she thought it was another dream, with them all sat around her, but when she closed her eyes and opened them again, she could feel intense pain all through her body. She knew she was finally awake. Sabine noticed first, quickly standing and rushing over to her.

"Look who's finally awake! How are you feeling?" Sabine said softly.

"I...I feel awful." Marinette croaked.

"Well you don't look it!" Tom chuckled.

Adrien grabbed her hand "Marinette...I'm...I'm so sorry."

"Wh-what? Why are you sorry?" She tried to sit up but her body screamed in pain.

"No Marinette, don't sit up!" Her father quickly said. He pressed the buzzer next to her bed.

"I shouldn't have shouted at Chloe, I upset you and Chloe. It's my fault…" Adrien began to apologise but Marinette interrupted him "No, no! It's not your fault!" She winced.

A swarm of doctors and nurses came into the room, surrounding her.

"We should go now Adrien, Sabine, we will come back later sweetheart." Tom said.

Tom and Sabine kissed her on her forehead and started walking to the door. Adrien stood and squeezed her hand gently.

"If you want to talk, you can ring or text. Doesn't matter the time." He quietly said. He then leaned over and lightly kissed her forehead.

After the doctors had finished flapping around her, talking to her, prodding her, she reached over to her phone and looked at the screen. Thankfully someone had charged it up for her, but then she saw the date...it must have been wrong, she thought. No way had she been asleep for 17 days! She looked around as much as she could, hoping to see Tikki, but she couldn't. She suspected that she was with Master Fu. She felt so alone without her and she began to cry. she wanted to see her, to make sure she was ok and not mad with her. Master Fu had been very insistent that she not transform, but she couldn't just leave Chloe to Chat, she was far too powerful for him to handle and he couldn't have captured the akuma. It was justified in her mind, but she knew Tikki wasn't happy, rightfully so, but surely she'd understand. She dropped her phone on her bed and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath to try and calm herself down. Her phone buzzed making her jump in surprise.

21:37 **Hi, how are you feeling? What have the doctors said? A xx**

Marinette slowly started typing back, but the glare from her screen was making her head throb so she stopped, she turned the brightness down on her screen and carried on.

21:52 **I'm feeling a bit better than before thanks. Not much, they want to do some x-rays and scans in the morning. Thank you for coming to see me! Mari xx**

21:54 **Good, I'm glad you are. No need to thank me, I wanted to be there for you. We've got lots to talk about when you're feeling better! A xx**

'Lot's to talk about? What does he mean by that? Maybe he is talking about Chloe' she thought. She stared at her screen, trying to think how to reply. She longed for Tikki, she was always there when she was stuck for words. She felt a lump forming in her throat again.

22:13 **Mari? Are you ok? It's nothing bad we need to talk about! I just want to wait til you feel better. A xx**

She looked at her phone again. She felt so lonely, the big room she was in felt so cold and sterile. Marinette took another deep breath and tried to sit up a bit, her body screamed in agony but she managed to reposition herself to a more comfortable spot. She thought about how silly she was being. She'd been awake a couple of hours and on her own for no more than 30 minutes. Each time a nurse came in, she would make small talk as she checked all of her obs, so how could she feel lonely? But she couldn't help it, the overwhelming urge to cry kept threatening to release.

22:17 **I'm just a bit emotional, I don't like it here on my own. I can't wait for visiting hours in the morning when my Maman and Papa come. Mari xx**

22:18 **Try to stay positive, why don't you try to get some sleep so time goes quicker? I'll bring some puzzles and a teddy for you to cuddle tomorrow. Axx**

Marinette smiled when she read his message. But she wasn't going to sleep again. No way, she'd slept enough already!

22:26 **Aww thank you! I can't sleep, I've overslept a little these past few days :O. I'm just going to count the staff who walk past my window lol. Mari xx**

22:27 **THAT'S an understatement! Haha. What, do they not have any sheep for you to count? How rude. Axx**

She laughed, causing her to wince again. She wondered why Adrien was so concerned for her? Why had he been at her bedside with her parents? So much didn't make sense, but she was grateful he was there for her.

22:32 **Nope, no sheep. Very rude indeed. Mari xx**

She waited and waited for his reply, but it never came. She assumed he must have fallen asleep. Even though she knew she was being selfish, she really wanted him to text her back. She felt the lump forming again, but this time she couldn't stop it. She put her head back on the pillow and closed her eyes, letting the warm tears trickle down her face.

A nurse came through the doors and started seeing to the machines around her before she noticed the tears streaming down Marinette's face.

"Are you ok? You're not in too much pain are you? All you have to do is press the buzzer and someone will come through." The nurse asked.

"No I just...it's all a bit overwhelming. I just want to be at home." Marinette sniffled.

"Aww I know it's hard. But you need to get better first."

She carried on writing on the clipboard before smiling and walking back out the room.

Marinette turned her head to look through the outside window, her mouth dropped. Sitting on the window ledge was Chat Noir. She blinked to make sure it wasn't just a dream, but he still sat there with a big grin on his face. He jumped down and walked over to her bed, sitting carefully next to her.

"Hello, my lady. It's good to see you awake. I've brought a surprise for you." He said with a goofy grin.

"A-a s-surprise? What surprise?" She asked, confused.

He pulled his arm around from behind his back and there sat Tikki with tears welling up in her eyes. Marinette smiled, before the shock of what she saw sunk in.

Tikki flew over to her and cuddled her, nuzzling her face affectionately.

"Tikki! Wh-what...h-how?" Marinette stammered.

"It's ok Marinette, I'll explain everything." Tikki reassured her.

Marinette looked over at Chat and had an overwhelming urge to hug him, so she lifted her arms as an invitation. He walked forward and carefully embraced her.

A couple of weeks later, Marinette was well enough to return home. When she got home, Alya, Nino and Adrien were waiting for her in her room. They'd brought snacks and drinks and a few DVD's to watch. Two big bean bags lay on her floor with two large blankets draped over them, in front of her computer screen. A small box was placed in between the two bean bags, with a bowl of popcorn and four cups on top. Candles were scattered around her room, creating an ambient glow. She walked over and they all hugged her. Alya walked over to one bean bag and got under the blanket. Adrien sat on the other and held his hand out, which Marinette nervously took. She carefully sat on the bean bag, slowly sinking in next to Adrien. He put his arm around her and pulled the blanket over them both. Tom and Sabine brought up some bottles of pop and pastries for them to share. Nino picked up three of the DVD's and studied them before opening one and setting it up on the computer. He then joined Alya on the bean bag and snuggled up to her.

"So what are we watching first Nino?" Adrien asked.

"High Tension. Duuuude it's s'posed to be well scary." Nino chuckled.

Marinette and Alya looked over at each other and laughed.

"And if that doesn't scare you, we're watching Hostel next, now that is scary! Hope you're ready girls!" Nino said, putting on a spooky voice. Adrien looked down at Marinette and winked, causing her face to go crimson red. Alya discreetly stuck her thumbs up and smiled at her.

They began to watch the the film, everytime the girls jumped and screamed the boys laughed. By the second film, Marinette and Alya clung tightly to Adrien and Nino.

After watching the horror films, Nino put on True Romance to end the evening. Nino and Alya fell asleep, leaving Marinette and Adrien to watch the rest of the film themselves. When it finished, Adrien got up and shut the computer down. He blew all of the candles out except for one.

"Do you want to sleep on there or do you want me to carry you up to bed?" Adrien whispered.

"Erm…" Marinette looked down, she didn't want to sleep on the bean bag as her body was aching but she didn't want to burden Adrien either.

"Come on, I'll carry you up, you must be uncomfortable on there." He said. She blushed, then nodded. He smiled and lifted her into his arms. He carefully climbed the ladders, and placed her onto the bed. He sat next to her and placed his hand on hers. They sat in silence for a while until Marinette asked "So...what did you want to talk about?"

Adrien gently squeezed her hand and took a deep breath in, preparing himself for what he was about to say.

"Marinette, I'm really sorry I couldn't save you...I really tried but I just wasn't strong enough." He said, stroking her hand with his thumb.

"Why are you sorry? There's no way you could have saved me, Chat Noir and Ladybug even struggled. I'm alive, that's all the matters!" She said, puzzled at why he felt guilty. Adrien glanced down at Alya and Nino to check if they were still asleep and he pulled Marinette further up her bed, out of sight.

She stared at him with confusion and worry. He tried to think of the best way to word it, but no matter what he thought, he couldn't find the right words. Instead he whispered "Plagg, claws out". A flash of green surrounded Adrien as he transformed into Chat Noir. Marinette sat there in disbelief. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He nervously smiled at her and grabbed her hand once again.

"Please forgive me, I really did tr…" He began to say but Marinette put her hand on his mouth to stop him from talking. His stomach dropped, tears began welling up in his eyes. Marinette put both of her hands on his face and looked into his eyes.

"Silly kitty, you tried your best, heck even Hawkmoth couldn't bring down his own akuma. We all tried and we won in the end. It was my decision to transform, I knew I might not survive. That was no one's fault but my own. Please don't blame yourself Minou." She softly whispered. He nodded and she began to stroke his cheek with her thumb, in awe of the boy in front of her.

He slowly moved his head closer to her, looking into her intense bluebell eyes then down to her mouth. His own mouth felt dry from anticipation so he licked his lips. She watched his tongue run along his lips causing her to bite her lip. She pulled his face until their lips gently brushed together. He pulled away to look into her eyes, she blushed and started to look away in embarrassment but he put his hand on her cheek, gently caressing her face.

He lightly kissed her, and felt her relax as he gained more confidence. His tongue brushed her lips, causing them to part and allow him to explore her mouth. The passion ignited between them as their tongues danced with one anothers. They began lie down, Chat's hand moving from her face, slowly making its way down to her body. Marinette groaned in pleasure, causing him to melt more into the kiss. She pulled him on top of her, feeling his excitement on her. She gently bite his lip, making it his turn to groan. He broke away from her mouth, kissing his way along her jawline and onto her neck. She put her hands into his hair, gently tugging at it. He kissed his way down to her collar bone, gently nipping her making her body arch up against him in response. He moved his hands down to her hips and pulled her against him.

She pulled his face back up to hers, hungrily kissing his mouth once again. He began to tug at the top of her pants, he managed to pop open the button and he felt her smile.

Feeling brazen, Marinette grabbed his hips and pushed his excitement onto her. He stopped kissing her and looked at her with a big grin on his face.

She bit her lip and whispered "Adrien I want you…" into his ear.

Chat closed his eyes, pressing himself against her. He sucked at her neck and when he stopped he quietly said "Claws in".

Plagg quickly darted away, joining Tikki in her hiding place.

Adrien went back to work at Marinette's pants, pulling them off, chucking them to the end of the bed. She sat up and started to undo his pants, but her stopped her and grinned. He tugged at her top and pulled it up over her head, throwing it to the side. She suddenly felt self conscious, aware that she was completely naked in front of the person she'd been in secretly in love with for ages. He gently pushed her down and started trailing kisses up the inside of her thigh. She threw her head back and groaned. He made his way up to the top of her thigh and teasingly ran his tongue up across her intimate area, causing her to throw her hands to her mouth to stifle a loud moan. He sat up and pulled his shirt off as she put her hands to work on undoing his pants. She finally undid them and pulled them down. She bit her lip and looked up at him.

Adrien shuffled his pants off and slowly crawled over her, gently resting on top of her. He looked into her eyes, as if to ask permission. She grabbed his hair and pulled him into a passionate kiss. He gently entered her, and slowly gathered pace. She threw her head back again in pleasure and put her hand over her mouth to suppress as much noise as possible.

She could feel the pressure building inside, she wrapped her legs around him as she climaxed.

He followed almost immediately after, collapsing on top of her.

They led there for a while, trying to catch their breath. He pushed up onto his elbows and brushed the hair away from her face. She was flushed, but for once it wasn't from embarrassment. She smiled and pulled him in for another kiss. He happily complied.

He moved to the side of her and grabbed her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers. They led there for a while, smiling at each other. Marinette's eyelids began to feel heavy. She started to sit up but because all the adrenaline had worn off, she was feeling the pain in her body again. Adrien noticed her wince and sat up concerned.

"Are you ok Marinette?" He whispered.

She nodded and then replied "My ribs are starting to hurt and I…" She stopped and blushed.

He smiled and said "and what?"

"I-I need to...go to the...bathroom." She said hesitantly.

He grinned and grabbed his pants, pulling them on with grace. She pulled her top and pants back on and kissed him on the cheek.

He picked her up and took her to the bathroom, being as quiet and cat-like as he could, so that he wouldn't wake anyone in the house up.


End file.
